The world emerging from the interaction of Nature and the creative human spirit is the greatest source of inspiration for my work. Composite memories of pine- and cedar-covered hills surrounding the Baikal lake in Siberia, of the stillness of Armenian mountains, of the watery grays, pale blues and pinks of St. Petersburg’s magnificent buildings, of the curves of its countless rivers, canals, and bridges – all of these find their reflection in the forms and colors of my work.
The techniques I developed to shape the forms resemble or imitate the workings of the natural forces: fierce winds, huge bodies of water and all-penetrating sand dunes, which can wear away and transform huge rocks. The medium I use is grolleg porcelain fired either in soda or reduction gas kilns. Quite often I take my work through a number of firings, combining both methods, until I reach the desired effect. Gradually the objects or rather series of objects I make started to assume more abstract qualities steered away from any utilitarian purpose that used to be central to my work. The abandonment of functionality gifted me with the freedom to treat my work as a pure manifestation of life experiences I go through, allowing me to identify with the forms I create or to inhabit them so to speak.
In essence, my intention is to breathe life into a man made object, to animate it by giving it an appearance of a creature blending naturally into any environment, be it a home, a sea shore, a forest or a river bank.
